Newly established accreditation recognizes Amerigroup’s commitment to health equity, prioritizing the needs of socioeconomically marginalized individuals at the highest risk for adverse health outcomes.
Amerigroup Georgia recently earned the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation Plus, a recognition of Amerigroup’s leadership in developing solutions to enhance access equitable, high-quality healthcare. It further underscores Amerigroup’s commitment to eliminating health disparities in underserved communities to improve health outcomes and reduce overall treatment costs.
NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Plus builds upon the Health Equity Accreditation designation Amerigroup received last year, when it was recognized among the first Medicaid plans in the nation to create a strategic framework that prioritizes health equity based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The new Health Equity Accreditation Plus goes a step further by acknowledging Amerigroup’s data-driven approach to help identify and collect information on individuals’ social needs. This data enables Amerigroup to develop personalized services and supports to combat health inequities, leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) to help improve the health outcomes of individuals.
Amerigroup continues to advance its health equity mission through various innovative programs including:
- Culturally relevant maternal health and doula services, and parent education to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity disparities.
- Early prevention and interventions to improve health outcomes for members with chronic conditions, including diabetes and hypertension.
- Mobile dental services and screenings
- Increased access to healthy, nutritious affordable food
- Housing assistance initiatives
- Transportation services for medical appointments and health-related social needs.
“Racial and ethnic disparities have hindered quality healthcare progression for many Americans,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA President. “Organizations earning the Health Equity Accreditation Plus like Amerigroup Georgia are leading the way in bridging this gap, and NCQA salutes their commitment.”